I spend a lot of time out on Long Island in the summer, in a house I share with my siblings, and I think something about the communality of it all—as well as all that amazing local produce— brings out the (way) repressed Lifestyle Queen in me. All I want to do is make Burata cheese and heirloom tomato salads (and I am a complete pain in the ass about which farm stand those tomatoes must come from); and fingerling potato, garlic and chive salad. I want to steam endless ears of corn; to bake a thousand blueberry crisps; to grill eggplant until the cows come home. Reader, on Long Island in the summer I have made granola from scratch.
One of the less pastoral, but equally satisfying, pleasures of being out on Long Island are my occasional visits to the local K-Mart. Technically, Manhattan has a K-Mart, but I never go there and don’t consider it the real thing, because real K-Marts must have giant parking lots with extra-big shopping carts outside, roomy aisles inside, and camping departments and so on. (Similarly, I do not feel satisfied that the Atlantic Terminal Target in Brooklyn is a real Target. I grew up in the suburbs. I’m a purist.)
My first stop is always the Land’s End department—for one thing, it’s exactly front and center at this particular store. But also because I bought some bath towels there a few years ago, and they’re so good that I can’t imagine why I’d pay for fancier ones anywhere else ever again.
I always feel a powerful pull to the kitchen appliances at K Mart, every single time. I like to see who they’ve got their collaborations going with. I wasn’t crazy about much in the Sandra Lee collection, but I have to say, although I have never been particularly drawn to the man himself, I do think Gordon Ramsay’s line is pretty decent. This is a rather handsome stainless steel chef’s pan, don’t you think? For$27.99?
Likewise, I thought this 16-piece dinnerware set with the nifty red stripes was rather winning. Still, none of these things were on my list today; my purpose on this visit was to stock up on household necessities—big-ass bottles of Tide, 12-packs of paper towels, and so on—and get out of Dodge. Because no matter how enjoyable any visit to K Mart is, one must never overstay one’s welcome.
As far as shopping for cute clothes and stuff goes, I haven’t really bought much out in the country this summer. EXCEPT for this:
I bought a maxidress. A maxidress not at all unlike the ones I have railed against on this very blog as being universally unflattering. The pretty ethnic print is what sucked me in, of course. But it’s also made of the lightest, floatiest cotton imaginable. It’s impossible to feel hot and sticky when you’re wearing it. I’m almost certain that it makes me look huge, and that it directs all sorts of attention to my less-than-toned arms. But honestly, in this heat, I do not care.
LOVE everything Marie Eiffel–always a great sale at the end of August.
If you have the patience to fight the traffic to EH–I make a mean cocktail!
Not a stalker…just really enjoy your blog!
I think my husband feels the same way about that Kmart and I totally agree with you about “city” versions of suburban shops. It just isn’t the same. Enjoy the rest of the summer! (How did it get to be August??)
LOVE, that dress!! It’s adorable and would be perfect for my cruise of the Med. next month.
I love going to Walmart and Target (there are no more KMarts in my city). I just love going up and down the aisles and looking at all the great stuff.
Enjoy the rest of the summer in the country. Lucky you. I don’t get out of the city during the summer and, personally, I cannot wait for the summer and this heat to end. Yet another 98 degree day coming up.
You’ve got to be talking about the Bridgehampton K-Mart. I’m in Sagaponack and have been to that K-Mart many times this summer and last. I will say that I scored a very nice pr. of white J.Brand jeans and two excellent Helmut Lang tops at the T.J.Maxx in the same shopping “mall” for very little money. Love this area and am very lucky to be able to spend summers here. Best farm stand produce ever.
I’ve never had any luck at that T.J. Maxx, although Lord knows I have given it my best.
Thanks for the hot tip on the towels.
I guess this isn’t the sort of site that would have recipes, but, I must say the tomato and potato salads and the crisp sound yummy. I’m visualizing now.
That K-Mart is super dangerous. They have really cute citronella candles that come in little terra cotta holders with a demure light blue stripe (they had a couple of neutral colors as well). I bought two boxes of two, and then promptly dropped a box on the floor when I got home, breaking one of them, which killed me even thought they were like $4.50 for 2.
The other really dangerous place in Bridgehampton Commons is the T.J. Maxx, especially the housewares section. I bought wicked cute Cynthia Rowley vinyl tablecloths for my fireworks BBQ for $5 each. So many cute kitchenwares, and some decent bedding and linen too. Good for cheap workout gear too. My friend also scores some cheap Ralph Lauren clothes for her daughters there.
Oops, should I not have told you????
Ohhhhh, that makes me miss the Island in the summer … my boyfriend (now husband) is from waaaay way out there (end of the LIRR, then drive some more), and during college we spent every weekend from May through September bopping from the beaches to Pindar (heh!) to his friend’s mom’s amazing garden to fish restaurants to more beaches to farmstands …
By the way: tell me you get Briarmere pies. You must — of course you do. Right?